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Time to buy, plant new irises


This unusual bronze bearded iris grew from a rhizome
purchased at an earlier Iris Society sale. (Photo: Debbie
Arrington)

Find hundreds of varieties at annual sale this weekend

Got iris? This popular flower may be the ultimate low-water spring perennial for Sacramento. It blooms year after year with little (if any) extra irrigation or care.

Bearded iris is a great choice for the foothills, too. They’re deer-resistant as well as drought-resistant.

Find irises in an amazing range of colors, patterns and combinations at the annual Sacramento Iris Society rhizome sale this weekend at Shepard Garden and Arts Center.

From 9 a.m to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21, society members will offer thousands of recently dug iris rhizomes, the tuberous roots of bearded iris. Hundreds of varieties will be available.

Each specimen will be labeled with cultivar information and a description of its color and appearance. In addition to the spring-blooming varieties, a large selection of reblooming varieties will be available. Extending the iris season, these rebloomers produce a second round of flowers in summer or fall.

With each purchase, receive a free permanent garden label to go with your new iris. A demonstration table will show how to properly plant iris rhizomes. Iris experts also will answer questions and share advice.

Admission and parking are free. Bring cash or check. The Shepard Center is located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento.

Details:
www.sgaac.org .

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

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